Dressed as Japanese Imperial Army soldiers, members of the China Unification Promotion Party yesterday demonstrated outside Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) headquarters in Taipei, accusing the DPP of “brainwashing” students with pro-Japan curricula.
“We want to thank the DPP for educating the children in Taiwan to love our Empire of Japan. This is something that our own Japanese kids would not do, and something we could not force the Taiwanese to do in our 50 years of Japanizing education,” a man dressed up as a Japanese Imperial Army commander said through a loudspeaker, with a Japanese accent. “Therefore, we are here to present our certificate of gratitude to the DPP today.”
Holding a “certificate of gratitude,” the protesters declared that they would sing a Japanese military song before entering the building, but what they sang instead was the Japanese children’s song Momotaro-san, or “The Peach Boy,” eliciting laughter from both members of the media and DPP staff.
Photo: CNA
However, when the DPP declined to accept the certificate, the protesters attempted to force their way in, and briefly clashed with the police.
“What you are doing now is in violation of the Assembly and Parade Act (集會遊行法). If you try to force your way into the building again, we will arrest you,” Zhongzheng First Precinct Chief Chang Chi-wen (張奇文) said through a loudspeaker.
Former gang leader and China Unification Promotion Party chairman Chang An-le (張安樂) — better known by his Bamboo Union nickname “White Wolf” — later appeared to talk to the media about the demonstration.
“The protesters dressed up in Japanese Imperial Army uniforms to mock the education under former president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) and the DPP, which ‘poisoned’ the students with pro-Japan curricula,” Chang said. “And this is why the curriculum guidelines must be changed.”
PRAISE: Japanese visitor Takashi Kubota said the Taiwanese temple architecture images showcased in the AI Art Gallery were the most impressive displays he saw Taiwan does not have an official pavilion at the World Expo in Osaka, Japan, because of its diplomatic predicament, but the government-backed Tech World pavilion is drawing interest with its unique recreations of works by Taiwanese artists. The pavilion features an artificial intelligence (AI)-based art gallery showcasing works of famous Taiwanese artists from the Japanese colonial period using innovative technologies. Among its main simulated displays are Eastern gouache paintings by Chen Chin (陳進), Lin Yu-shan (林玉山) and Kuo Hsueh-hu (郭雪湖), who were the three young Taiwanese painters selected for the East Asian Painting exhibition in 1927. Gouache is a water-based
Taiwan would welcome the return of Honduras as a diplomatic ally if its next president decides to make such a move, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said yesterday. “Of course, we would welcome Honduras if they want to restore diplomatic ties with Taiwan after their elections,” Lin said at a meeting of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee, when asked to comment on statements made by two of the three Honduran presidential candidates during the presidential campaign in the Central American country. Taiwan is paying close attention to the region as a whole in the wake of a
A magnitude 4.1 earthquake struck eastern Taiwan's Hualien County at 2:23pm today, according to the Central Weather Administration (CWA). The epicenter of the temblor was 5.4 kilometers northeast of Hualien County Hall, at a depth of 34.9 km, according to the CWA. The earthquake's intensity, which gauges the actual effect of a temblor, was the highest in Hualien County, where it measured 2 on Taiwan's 7-tier intensity scale. The quake also measured an intensity of 1 in Yilan county, Taichung, Nantou County, Changhua County and Yunlin County, the CWA said. There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.
OFF-TARGET: More than 30,000 participants were expected to take part in the Games next month, but only 6,550 foreign and 19,400 Taiwanese athletes have registered Taipei city councilors yesterday blasted the organizers of next month’s World Masters Games over sudden timetable and venue changes, which they said have caused thousands of participants to back out of the international sporting event, among other organizational issues. They also cited visa delays and political interference by China as reasons many foreign athletes are requesting refunds for the event, to be held from May 17 to 30. Jointly organized by the Taipei and New Taipei City governments, the games have been rocked by numerous controversies since preparations began in 2020. Taipei City Councilor Lin Yen-feng (林延鳳) said yesterday that new measures by
RSS